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Hazaria
Hazaria is a region within the Kingdom of Ashenia. Prior to the Ashenian colonisation it had no unifying name. Geography Hazariais predominantly an arid region, its climate dominated by the Salt Flats, or Marilath, in the North and the Waste of Ishana in the South. The Marilath (or the Salt Flats) consists, as its common name suggests, of a wide expanse of salt, likely left behind when the inland sea to its East receded. The region is lower than the surrounding land with steep slopes and escarpments at all sides. To the North stand the forests of Eseda in Southern Ashenia. The forest gets considerably thinner as it nears the edge of the Marilath, before eventually giving away to scrub that can survive the harsh conditions. No vegetation grows in the Marilath itself as none can survive there. However, this is not to say that the Marilath is a region devoid of economic value as the salt there is both abundant and remarkable pure. The Waste of Ishana on the other hand has little or no conceivable value. It consists of a vast expanse of rock and sand that stretches from the Marilath to the borders of Scla'ca and Alydaxis. Despite this, there are some areas where the land is not so unforgiving and vegetation holds on. Here, herds of small horses and cattle are kept by the local inhabitants. It is rumoured that at the heart of Ishana there is buried an ancient city that dates to before civilisation arrived in Telluris. The Kirandrus Foothills provids most of the livelihood of the native inhabitants and Ashenite immigrants. Here, they are able to raise herds of cattle and horses and tend to groves of olives with which to supplement the crops they are able to grow in the milder climate found at the higher elevations. The only major settlement within Hazaria is the city of Misakand, located in the Kirandrus near to where the Marilath and Ishana meet. Though it is considered a city by the standards of the inhabitants, its population never numbers more than one thousand nomads who gather to trade salt for meat and oil. Throughout most of the year, the city stands predominantly empty with but a couple of hundred inhabitants sustained by the gardens they irrigate with water from the city's wells and springs. People The people of Hazaria, known as the Kiranites, are descended from the same lineage as the Ashenites to the North. As such, they share many aspects of their appearance. They stand at an average of 183 centimetres for men and 176 centimetres for women. Their hair has a roughly equal chance of being black or dark brown. Like their northern neighbours, they have a tendency towards blue eyes but theirs tend to be so dark a blue as to be almost black. Due to the harsh sunlight of Hazaria the inhabitants typically attire themselves in long, loose-fitting robes of plain white with their head and faces likewise covered with only their eyes visible. However, indoors, they traditionally remove their outer robes to reveal lighter garments of pale blue cloth, often embroidered to show the skill of the craftsperson. In addition, both men and women decorate their hands and forearms with henna in intricate geometric patterns. The people are divided into three tribal groups, the Ishanites, Maradites and Drasene. The tribes have much the same culture as one another with minor differences in attire and custom. Nevertheless, despite their similarities, the tribes are wary of one another, only setting aside their differences, however slight, for trade and festivals at Misakand. Resources The Salt (great) gathered from the Marilath is of remarkable purity. Locally it is used as a currency and to preserve meats. Its sheer abundance makes it the regions most significant export. The local inhabitants desire very little in the form of material wealth beyond what they have, but their diet of meat and whatever they can eke from the soil is exceptionally bland. As such, they desire Spices to add flavour to their meals. In a remote region of the Kirandrus Foothills, a vast quantity of celestial diamonds has been uncovered. They are predominantly white, blue or blue-grey in colouration and are known as celestial diamonds due to their unrivalled clarity and the fact that they seem to emit a faint light. Scholars suggest that they may have similar properties to light crystals and could be the key in determining what it is that makes them luminous. Religion Similar to the Ashenites, the Kiranites have an animist view of the world, but unlike the Ashenites, they believe in a great spirit who rules over the sky and is lord of all other spirits. It is likely that this belief was adopted from cultural interaction with the Quill of Tar, a claim backed up as the Kiranites call this sky spirit Atorna, similar to the name Atur. Category:Regions Category:Regions of Telluris